Bellevue police officer resigns following DUI investigation

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BELLEVUE, Wash. -- A Bellevue Police officer who was disciplined last year for inappropriate behavior at a Seahawks game and is currently facing a DUI charge has resigned from the force.

Ofc. Andy Hanke had been under investigation for DUI stemming from a November traffic stop.

According to court documents, Hanke was off-duty when a Bellevue police officer noticed his Jeep Cherokee swerving on I-90 near Issaquah.

The officer noted in his report that Hanke's vehicle continued for a short distance after he activated his overhead emergency lights.

The officer said he immediately smelled alcohol and Hanke's eyes were "bloodshot, watery and droopy." The officer called Hanke's wife and she picked him up.

During the traffic stop, the officer said another vehicle approached the scene for a domestic violence incident. The officer contacted dispatch and requested assistance from Issaquah Police and WSP, according to his report.

Immediately following the traffic stop, the fellow officer called a supervisor and explained the situation. When the police chief was notified the next day, Hanke was placed on administrative leave.

The incident sparked an internal investigation into the actions of the officer who made the traffic stop and his decision to not make an arrest. The officer is still on-duty but part of an internal investigation.

Last year, Hanke was suspended four weeks and removed from the Bomb Squad for unruly behavior at the Seahawks game.

According to the internal investigation report, Hanke admitted that he drove home while under the influence - even after a Seattle Police Sgt. told Hanke and his friends to sober up and not drive.

"As we move forward, my hope is that we rebuild the public's trust and continue our focus on the great work that the men and women of this Department do every day," Bellevue Police Chief Linda Pillo said in a Thursday news release.

Hanke was hired in 2001 as a police support officer and in 2005 became a commissioned police officer.